Whole Lot of Love
by K. L. Baninson
Summary: "You know, I'm going to see Ron today. You should-" Reggie started but Rose cut him off, "No." "He's been asking about you," Reggie said to the short red-head. "Let him ask until it takes his last breath then," Rose spat out softly yet harshly. Warning: Slight AU/Language/Violence/Adult Themes [Ron/Oc][Reg/Frances]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: London; 1960s

The first time Rosaline Dawson stepped off the plane onto British soil was at the age of 8. It was summer vacation and she and her older sister were visiting their father and their paternal grandparents. Their grandparents lived on the outskirts of London where the urban city turned into the suburbs. They had a nice 3 story house, wrap around porch and a pool in the back. She loved it there. For once, she did not have to share a room with her messy sister and her pet rabbit could roam her room freely without her worrying for the pet. Nana made sunday dinner every week after the church services and all the neighbors would come over, crowd around the dinner table and eat after saying grace. She even began to make friends. Rose went back to London every summer after that for the rest of her school years.

At the age of 26, she finds herself back here by the request of her friend. Her name is Frances Shea. Her and Frances looked alike, the two women could pass for sisters if they'd like. They sure felt like sisters. Although they did have a few similar features, there were differences in their appearances, as there should be. Frances had straight short red-brown hair where as Rose had long Irish red hair that fell to the back of her knees in thick waves. Rose was about the same height as Frances, she only stood at 5 feet but she had more body to her than Frances did. Rose had vibrant light green eyes while Frances has warm honey brown ones.

The two women met as teenagers about 10 years prior to this day and have been inseparable since. Although Rose was about two years younger than her friend, Frances did not mind because Rosaline had always been mature for her age. Their grandmothers were friends and had introduced them to one another and they decided to give one another a try. Frances was just friendly that way and Rose simply did not have that many friends in London. A lot of her childhood friends had either moved or she had lost contact with them. But there were a few who had stuck around; like her friend Georgina Wilson.

Rose exited the plane via the ramp and looked around the airport, taking in her surrounding. She was dressed in a cremé lace bodice with a matching high waisted pencil skirt that hugged her legs just above her knees. The skirt framed her body in a such a way to accentuate her hips and firm bottom. Her calves were bare and she wore nude leather shoes with a red bottom and a strap across the ankle. They gave her about four inches in height. Rose knew London air was a bit chilly so she wore a white leather jacket. Her long hair was pulled up into a messy high ponytail that framed her face and cascaded down her shoulder. A soft green knit sweater hung over her arm and her bang rested on her shoulder, the long metal chain handle clinking with every move.

Her Louis Vuitton heels clicked against the tiled flooring of the airport as she walked, her hips swaying just a tad. Rose stopped at the conveyor belt to retrieve her luggage and once done, she made her way to the front entrance and sat on the bench to wait for Frances to arrive at the same spot she always does. They never changed the spot. It made it easy to see one another should one of them arrive earlier than expected.

After about 10 minutes, Rose didn't see Frances' car pull up so she began to worry. Frances was never over 10 minutes late, the woman was actually very punctual so her tardiness bewildered Rose to some point.

' _She should be here by now,'_ Rose thought to herself. She gripped the handle of her luggage tighter and pressed her lips together as she watched car after car, taxi after taxi and bus after bus leave. She watched people come and go, some alone, some with one or two people, others in full groups of 4+. Some people were dressed in fancy suits and dresses, while others were dressed more casually. But her worry began to fade when she saw a sleek black car pull up in front of the airport and slim legs creep out.

When Frances exited the car, her eyes scanned the crowds for a second before they settled on the entrance. She was dressed in a simple form fitting green silk dress with a simple pair of white flats with a flower on to top and her redish brown hair was pulled into a stylish yet elegant up do that suited the woman.

' _She's finally here,"_ Rose thought to herself with a smile. She stood up and made her way outside to her friend and lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Frances turned and a big smile made its way onto her face, showing off her pearly white teeth.

"You're finally here!" Frances exclaimed as she dragged Rose into a tight hug. Rosaline returned the hug with a smile of her own. She lowered the pulley on her luggage and put it into the trunk of the car. Once she was done, both women made their way into the backseat of the car.

"Georgina's house please," Frances told the driver who nodded and set the car into drive. Once he had the light, the car pulled off into the busy streets of midday London.

"So…" Rose began with the raise of her perfectly shaped brow, "how's your mom?"

Frances shrugged a bit with a pout on her face, "she's still bitchin, me mum. But hey, what am I to do y'know." Her thick cockney accent clashed against Rose's Yankee one but the two women did not mind. In fact, they both found it quite refreshing in every way.

Eventually, the car ride grew silent but not in an uncomfortable manner, in a soothing one. Rosaline watched as the buildings slowly went by and she began to take interest. She made a mental note of the stores she wanted to hit before she had to head back to America at the end of New Years. She saw new boutiques and she certainly placed those stores on the top of her list. Frances wasn't much of a shopper but Georgina was so she'd at least have one person to accompany her.

After about maybe 10 minutes or so, the car turned off the main road onto a quiet lane where only four houses sat there across each other. The chauffeur pulled up to the second house on the right hand side of the street. He then shut off the car and opened the door for both women before going to the trunk and pulling out Rose's three trunks of luggage. She thanked him politely when he placed them on the ground in front of the gate.

"Would you like to come inside for something to eat?" Rose asked Frances. Everyone who knew Rosie knew she loved to cook and bake and everyone loved her food. So when Rosaline offered Frances a plate of food, how could she possibly say no?

"Sure, I'd love that, thank you," Frances said softly with a smile. Rose smiled back and with a nod, she grabbed the biggest and heaviest trunk and headed to the door with her key. Her friend picked up the two smaller, lighter trunks and followed after her.

"Do you think Georgie's home?" Frances asked. Rose shook her head.

"She told me she would be at her boutique when I got here and to swing by if I'd like after I got settled in."

Rose unlocked the door and the two women hustled themselves inside. They left the trunks at the door in a neat stack, kicked off their shoes and headed right to the kitchen, no time wasted. Frances sat at the table while Rose washed her hands. Once done, she set about looking through the cabinets to see what was in them. To her surprise, the cabinets were bare empty. Like Frances, Georgina wasn't much of a cook, but dang it, would it kill her to stock up since she knew Rosie was flying in.

"This is a load of jelly, just a whole slop of it," Rosie said softly to herself yet loud enough for Frances to hear. She was busy off into space when she had heard that. It instantly piqued her interest and she looked up from her hands, "What is it?"

"Georgie must have forgotten to stock up on groceries. These cabinets are bare empty."

"Well me mum's cookin. I'm sure she won't mind making for you and Georgie if you help'er out with the cookin and errythin," Frances offered. Rose nodded her head.

"Alright. I'll call Georgie and let her know what's up and we can head to your house afterwards. And tomorrow, we can meet up and go grocery shopping; spend the day together, us three." Rose grabbed the telephone and spinned in the number to Gina's boutique but she received no answer, which she told Frances who simply shrugged it off. Frances smiled at her best friend, a smile that was returned. The two women pulled on their shoes, grabbed their purses and headed out the door. Rosie made sure to pull the door in after her because it won't lock otherwise.

"You up for a walk? The weather's nice today, in'it?" Frances asked.

"It is nice today but I'm in heels my friend so we are not walking," Rosie replied before walking to the main street to hail a taxi. Frances trotted along behind her with bewilderment.

"Where're you going?"

"To hail a taxi, Franny."

"Just where do you think you are? You're not in Brooklyn anymore toto." Frances teased with a smile. Her words caused Rosie to stop mid stride and turn to face the short red-brunette with question clearly written on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"This is East End, silly. Have you been away for so long you forgot? This is not New York. You can't just whistle yourself a ride here," Frances spoke with a snicker. Rose simply rolled her eyes.

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"Let's go back to your house and I'll give me brother a ring. See if he can swing by and pick us up. If he can't you're going to change those heels and we're walkin."

They weren't able to reach Frank, Frances' older brother so like she said, Rosie had to change her shoes. Not liking the sound of that, Rosie decided to change her whole entire outfit. She settled on a navy blue shirt with white pants and black flats. Once she was dressed, the two women walked their way to the Shea household for dinner.

"You look nice in trousers," Frances complimented her. Rosie smiled and gave a soft " _thank you"_ back. Other than that, they walked in soothing silence. The walk wasn't that long, about 10 minutes. Rose could have kept her heels on but the brick pavement would have chewed up her sole and she'd have to get it replaced.

The one thing Rosaline did not like about Frances's home was the huge step off the ground. ' _Whomever built the place was a jackhat,'_ Rose thought to herself as she climbed up the high single step.

Once inside Frances's home, Rosie kicked off her shoes and headed into the kitchen where Frances' mom was. The further she went into the home, the more Rosie could smell the food cooking, ' _her mom must have got the food fresh,'_ Rosie thought to herself.

"Hi Mrs. Shea," Rosie said when she entered the kitchen. Her greeting caused the older women to look up with a frown but one look at Rosie caused it to turn into a smile. Rosie gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek; Mrs. Shea was a mother to her whenever she came to London growing up.

"Hello dear, how was your flight? I heard it was raining when you had left."

"It was alright, I was next to this nice lady when knitted me a sweater."

"Well that's just wonderful. Are you staying for dinner dear?"

"Yes, ma'am. Would you like me to help?"

"No, no, that's fine. You just flew in. Go on up stairs to Frances and relax. The jet lag'll be setting in soon."

Rose nodded and headed out the kitchen, up the stairs and to the right. Frances's room was right there at the landing and the door was wide open. Frances always had her door open, she felt that she had nothing to hide from anyone in her family.

When Rosie entered her room, she found Franny sprawled across the full sized bed, a lemon sherbet popped in her mouth. Rose could hear her sucking on it and she could also hear it swirling in her tongue.

Rosaline pulled up the chair to the vanity and looked at her friend's body shrewn across the bed, "Don't you ever get tired of those sour things?" She was referring to the sour candy in her friend's mouth.

Frances gave a sound of disapproval and continued sucking on the small oval shaped candy, "I love these sweets. I would buy out the stores if I had to," she said back with a laugh.

She sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, her hand going straight for the nightstand draw. Frances pulled it open, revealing a small bag of lemon sherbets. She jiggled the bag and held it out to her friend as a way to offer her one.

Rose declined, "No thank you. They're too sour for me."

Frances shrugged and simply threw them back into the draw and closed it shut once more, "Oh well, your loss but more for me."

"You're going to ruin your dinner that way."

At that moment, Frances' mother called up the steps and said that dinner would be ready in five minutes and that she wanted the two girls to come and set the table. They both got up, Rose silently while Frances groaned and headed down the steps.

The two women set about dressing the table for dinner quietly yet quickly and efficiently. They've learned that when Mrs. Shea asked you to do something, the best thing to do is do it quickly and get it over with or face the consequences.

The three women sat down at the table and ate dinner together. There was idle chatter, mostly between Frances and Rosaline but Mrs. Shea joined in on the conversation every once in awhile. Rose talked about her family and how they were doing. She also spoke about how she had just finished medical school. Which lead to Frances practically begging Rosie to stay in London a bit longer seeing as she had nothing immediate or pressing back in America. And with that reasoning, Rosaline obliged, causing Frances to smile.

Mrs. Shea called it a night first and told the two women they were on dish duty. They gave a round of good nights to her with promises to get them done. The two females spent the night laughing and chatting it up. They did one another's hair, nails and makeup and even picked out Frances' outfit for tomorrow. They did everything _but_ the dishes. Needless to say, when Mrs. Shea awoke the next morning, she had a fit.

* * *

Rose awoke to Mrs. Shea practically dragging the two women out of bed with a list of chores. She said that since they didn't want to do the dishes when asked, they had to clean the whole house. She wanted it spotless and pristine.

With a sigh, the two women set about cleaning, but not before Frances popped a lemon sherbet into her mouth, causing Rose to chuckle and roll her eye playfully. About 10 minutes into their chores, there was a knock on the door. Frances and Rose shared a look before Frances turned off the kitchen sink, and went to answer the door, leaving Rose to finish up the rest of the dishes which she did quickly. She assumed it was a man by how deep the voice sounded. There were some words passed before Rose heard Frances yell for Frank.

' _Must be someone here looking for him,'_ Rose thought to herself. She then heard some idle chatter between Frances and the unknown male so she dried her hands and made her way to the door. When she saw who it was, she instantly tried to turn tail and flea, but she was spotted before she had the chance.

"Well hello Rose," the man said cheerfully. Rose plastered a fake smile on her face and inched closer to the door.

"Hi Reginald," Rose said stiffly through clenched teeth. He gave her smile, one she did not return.

"I'd no idea you were back in London, when did you return?" He asked trying to make idle chit chat with the short red head.

"Last night."

Reginald nodded his head in understanding as he continued to suck on the candy he had taken from Frances, "You know, I'm going to see Ron today. You should-"

"No," Rose said firmly, cutting him off because she knew he was going to ask her to come with him to visit. She wished the man would catch a hint already, sending mail to the US was not cheap, yet Ron found a way to get at least 3 letters to her a month, most likely begging her to come and visit him in prison. She didn't know because she had decided she was going to move on from Ronald Kray and so she did not read them. When Ron first got sent to jail for grievous bodily harm, she and Reggie kept in contact. She visited Ron as much as she could until she had to head back home to New York City for school. It wasn't until Ron was transferred to the mental hospital did she try to cut off all contact with the Krays; but to no avail.

"He's been asking about you."

"Let him ask until it takes his last breath then," Rose spat out softly yet harshly before turning to Frances, "close the door, hurry up."

Rose moved away from the door and headed back into the house, leaving Frances on the stoop with Reggie Kray. He took the half eaten sweet out his mouth and handed it back to her with a smile and she popped it back into her mouth with a light laugh before stepping back and closing the door.

Reggie stood there looking at the burgundy red door before licking his fingers and heading back to the car. After a minute or two, Frank came out the house and the three men were off. In the car, Reggie questioned Frank about his sister who replied that his sister was a very fragile women. And she was.

Frances Shea was a very fragile, delicate, sensitive woman.


	2. Chapter 2

_**[AN: (Not Mandatory to read)]**_

 _ **To EdwardAnthonyMasonCullen1918: No, I am not aiming to be factual. To be totally honest with you, I thought Frances was in the same age bracket as Reggie but it turns out, she was a full decade younger. But in this story, since I had already posted it, she is about 28, 29 max.**_

 _ **NOW... ONWARDS MY FELLOW READERS!**_

* * *

Chapter 2: London; 1960s

Once Frances had closed the door, Rose wasted no time in dressing herself and heading home once she was sure Reggie was no longer at the door nor in the vicinity. She had nothing to say to him nor his crazy brother. Frances was somewhat lost on the matter but she knew enough about her friend to know that all Rose needed was time. She'll open up about this Ron character when she is ready. In the meantime, she could just ask Reggie seeing as he was involved in it someway somehow.

Once Rosie had got home that day she saw Reggie, she kicked off her shoes and began to drag her trunks of luggage up the steps and to her room. The house was somewhat small yet nicely built. To the the left of the front door was a hallway that lead to the kitchen. It had white flooring and dark wood counters. A table sat in the middle of the room with four chairs. There was also a door that lead to the backyard. To the right of the door stood a tall archway that lead to the living room. It had dark carpet with leather couches, a tea table and a radio. There was also a fireplace but Georgina rarely used it in fear of setting their house aflame.

Although Rosie technically owned it and paid all the bills needs to keep the place, she allowed Georgina to stay here and claim it as hers. The woman had enough expenses as it is, Rose didn't want to add to them when she had the money to pay for the home on her own. And to add to that, Rose was barely there so Georgina had a free place to be in her design element at any given moment without being disturbed.

As soon as the door opened there sat a set of wooden steps that lead up to the second floor of the house. Next to the steps stood a door that lead to the laundry room. At the top of the landing there were two doors. One lead to the bathroom and the other one lead to Georgina's room. Rosie's room was down the hall on the other side but she did not mind, there was a large bay window inside that looked out into the streets, giving her a nice view. That was the main reason she had chosen that room to begin with. Next to her room was a spare bedroom but Georgina used that as her at home work space.

Rose opened up the door to her room and went straight for the window. She popped open the large doors to the window in order to let fresh air into the dusty room. Her room wasn't big yet it wasn't small either. She had a queen sized bed in the middle with the head pushed against the wall, a chest of draws and a vanity set against the wall near the door. Once all of her trunks were up the steps and stacked into the corner, she set about cleaning her room.

Rose stripped the bed of it's sheets and threw them into the washer to get rid of the dust. Then she swept and mopped the entire house and the steps. That took her about thirty minutes and by that time, her sheets should be ready to go into the dryer. Once she did that, Rose wiped down her furniture and put her things away. She wiped down her vanity and then set freshly washed sheets back onto the bed. The American lady took a shower, washed and towel dried her hair, put on a night slip and climbed into bed to sleep off the onset of jet lag she was beginning to feel.

* * *

She slept for a few hours, well through the morning into the afternoon. It wasn't until Georgina knocked on her bedroom door did she wake up, or she might have slept through the afternoon as well. Rose got out of bed with a groan and stretched her body thoroughly. She then fixed her night slip, threw on her robe and slippers and made her way down the steps to get herself a cup of water. When she got to the kitchen, Georgina was already there sipping on a cup of fresh tea. She was at the table and a handful of crackers sat on a napkin in front of her. Rosie got herself a cup of water and sat at the table across from her friend and roommate.

"You didn't come home last night, everything okay?" Georgina asked her. She sipped her tea, ate a cracker and sipped her tea once more. Rose could smell the herbal from where she sat. She shrugged with a sigh, her hand running through her wavy messy hair. ' _Was anything ever okay?'_ Rose thought to herself.

"No," Rosie spoke softly but mostly to herself. Georgina drank the rest of her tea and set the cup down with a quizzical look on her face, wanting Rose to continue, "Reginald showed up at Frances' door this morning, looking for Frank I'm assuming."

That statement caused Georgie to groan audibly. Georgina Wilson knew all about Rosie's former affiliation with the Kray twins and let's just say, she did not like it. She was glad when Rose said she was leaving Ron and going back to America. She wanted Rosie to leave and never come back. But alas, life never worked out that way did it.

"What did he say to you?"

"Ron's been asking for me."

"You told him no, right?" Georgina asked, her voice raising a bit, "didn't you?!"

"Yes! Yes, I told him no. I told him to fuck off and to take his brother with him. I didn't come back to London to get dragged back into Ronnie Kray's mess."

"Good," Georgina huffed and got up to put her empty cup into the sink. Rosie leaned over the table and snagged herself one of Gina's uneaten crackers. The kitchen filled with a comfortable silence, the only sound coming from the radio in the living room. It was playing out a nice jazz song, one Rosie began to hum to softly. After a moment or so, Gina joined in, both women harmonizing together, Gina singing alto while Rosie sung soprano. When the song ended, they held out the note simultaneously, a smile on their faces.

"Are you going to head back to Esmeralda's? Stefen's been asking for you and he said your spot's still open if you ever wanted it."

"Eh…" Rosie shrugged, "I don't know yet. Maybe seeing as I've no job yet. But today we're going shopping. This kitchen is too bare for my liking."

Gina laughed, "You're a rich wanker, you don't need to work for Christ's sake. And about the empty kitchen, I meant to do that but time got away from me, y'know."

Rose hummed in agreement and downed the rest of her water, "So, I'll go and get ready and you and I can go to the grocery; fill up this kitchen. But first we're going to swing by Frances and pick her up, I told her she could come along to the market with us."

"Sounds like a plan then."

Both women headed up the stairs and into their rooms to get dressed. Rosie was dressed first. She settled on an olive green silk form fitting dress and a pair of shiny red shoes . She had left her hair loose, letting the wavy thick tresses cascade down her back. Rose brushed her teeth and dabbed her face clean with a towel and put on a pair of simple peal earrings with a matching bracelet. She then grabbed a cross body purse from her closet, threw some money into her bag and made her way down the steps. Gina had yet to make her way down the steps so the American woman got herself a cup of water and an apple from the table. She also gave Frances a ring to let the woman know they would be on their way soon and to be ready when they got there.

After a few minutes, Georgie came down dressed impeccably. She had on a brown sequined, off the shoulder top, a white skirt, cremé sheer tights and black suede kitten heels. The woman was tall, 5 foot 10 to be exact and slim, like a model. She surely looked like one. Georgina Wilson had long straight brown hair, a strong yet feminine jawline and big, sultry chestnut brown eyes that matched her hair. Her skin was fair and she always wore black charcoal liner that brought out her eyes.

The two women got into Georgina's ruby red cadillac and drove off to the Shea household to pick up Frances. The drive wasn't long, about 5 minutes or so and when Georgina pulled up across the way to the burgundy door on Ormsby Street, Rose got out. She crossed the small street and made her way to the door, grabbed the handle and gave it a tap or two. Rose leaned against the brick wall as she waited for someone to answer the door. She heard some yelling for Frances and two minutes later, the red-brunette woman swung the door open to her home, a large smile plastered on her face.

"You look excited to see someone," Rose said softly in a teasing manner. It caused Frances to roll her eye. She stepped off the ledge and pulled the door shut behind herself. The small woman had on a floral pleated skirt, stockings, fancy shoes and a white blouse. She also had a small white cross body clutch in the shape of a rose. As usual, her hair was done with a hump and an off centre part in the bang with the ends brushed back behind her ears.

"And if I am?" Frances retorted, causing Rose to arch her red brow.

"It better be me. Come on, Gina's in the car waiting."

At that moment, the ever impatient Georgina honked the horn and waved her hand in the air, as if saying " _hurry up"_ with hand motions. She had a slight glare to her face that she directed to the two shorter women. With a sigh, Rose made her way across the street, Frances trotting along behind her. Once both women were in the car, Georgina pulled off and headed to the local market some ways into town.

That afternoon, the women spent their time shopping. Once the food shopping was done, they headed back to Gina and Rose's place, packed the food away in the right places and headed back out to do some clothes shopping.

When Gina heard Frances had a date, she practically forced Frances to accept a new outfit. It was all black and it had a lacquer to it that gave it a shimmer effect. It was a two piece garment except instead of a skirt, it was pants. According to Georgina, every great relationship started out with a great outfit. That caused a round of laughter from the group of friends.

The three women ended their night with a round of drinks mixed with some music and dancing at Esmeralda's Barn. They weren't even there for an hour before the owner caught wind of Rose's appearance at the club/casino.

The tall, lanky blonde bastard slithered his slimy way over to the group of women who were settled in the corner with a smile on his face. Although, his smile fooled no one at that table. Rose was busy sipping on some champagne and studying her nails when she caught someone in her peripheral. When she looked up, she wished she hadn't.

"Rose, darling, you're back in London? How long has it been dear?"

"Almost three years, Mr. De Faye," Rose replied with a false smile slapped on her pretty face. She doesn't like the man but she doesn't dislike him either. There was simply something egotistical about him. When she worked here at Esmeralda's years ago, he often stayed out of her way. She sung her songs, danced her numbers and mingled with the customers. She sometimes even played the tables if she was in the mood. But she never liked the man.

"Am I correct in assuming you'll be singing a number for us tonight?" He asked all too sweetly. Rose was prepared to decline but with her two friends insisting her to do so, she had no choice in doing so. She decided to sing " _Please Mr. Postman."_

Although it's an American song, she was sure no one would mind. She stood up and followed after Stefen, who walked up to the stage. He made his way to the mic, tapped on the tip twice and a dazzling smile crossed his features. He gave the crowd a wave before giving them a warm greeting.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen. How are we tonight? Doing well, I assume?" Stefen started. The crowd gave a round of applause and he continued, "well tonight's about to get better. We have an old face returning to the stage for the first time in three years. Everyone, say hello to Rose."

That night, after her first performance, Rose found herself doing another song. And another one after that until she found herself staying until an hour before closing. At the end of the night, Rose Dawson was once again a singer at Esmeralda's Barn.

* * *

It's been about two weeks since she's seen Reggie at Frances's door and those two weeks have been bliss. She was working at Esmeralda's, Gina's boutique got into the paper so she was quickly rising as a fashion designer and Frances was in a relationship with a new man. Although, she hasn't yet disclosed who it was she was seeing officially.

It was about midday and Rose was getting ready to go to the casino. Even though it was her off day, Christmas was going to be here in just a week and Stefen wanted all the workers there to help set up decorations and for a highly important meeting. She said goodbye to Georgie who was sipping tea in the living room as she read over her latest design details, grabbed the car keys off the hook and headed into town to Esmeralda's Barn.

When she got there, nearly everyone who worked there was already present. The band, all the performers, servers and casino table people were there. They were only short about two or three people, but no one minded seeing as Stefen has yet to show up. As they waited, the servers went about setting up the tables, the performers were setting up decorations and the casino table men went about setting up their tables for incoming players. The band played some jazz for the few customers that were already there and two servers were attending to them.

Rose set her bag down in the back inside her locker, tied her hair up into a messy ponytail and grabbed a box of decorations from the corner. As she set about hanging decorations on the walls, there was a loud _ding_ that resounded through the air. The jazz music stopped, the jibber jabber of chit chat ceased and all eyes turned to the bar. Someone they did not know was standing there with a briefcase in his hand and a warm smile on his face.

The man was tall with a close cut shave and thick mustache covering his top lip. He had a gut that was somewhat hidden by an impeccably tailored suit jacket and tie. He wore a simple pair of loafers and black trousers to match his jacket.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen. How are we today?" The man asked. No one said a word. He just nodded and continued on with what he was going to say, "my name is Leslie Payne and I regret to inform you that Esmeralda's Barn is now under new management."

When he said that, there was a round of ' _what's_ and ' _huh'_ s and a whole lot of confusion. No one knew where Mr. De Faye was and why he would sell the club.

"The new owners will be here shortly."

Mr. Payne left the club and no one said or did anything. They were all left in utter shock. No one really liked Stefen but they all knew how to deal with him for the sake of their jobs. They knew nothing of these new owners, what they were like and what made them tick.

"Alright look, let's just finish decorating so that when the new owners come, they won't have something to bitch about right off the top," Rose said to everyone. They all agreed and soon, the club had the same hustle and bustle only the chatter this time was about the new owners.

When all the christmas decorations were put up, the club officially opened for the evening guests. The band played their tunes, performers did their numbers, the servers were making their way around the club and a few guests cheered from the casino tables as they won more money than they had walked in with. There were men who lined the bar. They sipped their cocktails as they watched the burlesque dancers do their thing on the large stage. When there was no performances, the band played instrumentals and some of the guests got up and danced with one another.

Rose sat in a corner booth close to the stage alone, sipping on a club soda. She was off from work that day and had nothing better to do with her evening. After she had did her share of the work, she found the nearest booth that was empty and ordered herself a non-alcoholic drink and a side of fries with some ketchup. Her slim, well manicured hand played with the beaded end of her dress. She kicked off her heels and propped her feet on the seat next to her. But she quickly sat up and rubbed her eyes out of shock, for she sees Frances entering the club on the arm of none other than Reginald Kray.

' _That must be the mystery man,'_ Rose said to herself yet not out loud. Frances nor Reggie had seen her but she surely did see them. Rosie kicked her feet off the chair, slipped her shoes back on and grabbed her thick dark shades from her purse next to her. She slid them on, effectively hiding her face and swiftly made her way to the door hoping to make a quick getaway.

But fate just was not on her side, for her clumsiness had decided to kick in just at that moment.

As she made her way to the door in haste, Rose knocked into a waiter, causing a platter of empty champagne flutes to crash to the floor, the sound of shattering glass gaining the attention of everyone in the room. Even the band stopped playing to look on in bewilderment.

"Excuse me," Rose said softly and hurried around the waiter to the door but a hand gripped her arm and yanked her back into the club. She was face to face with Reggie, Frances standing behind him.

"Now wait a minute. Why are in such a rush miss?" His thick accent ringing in her ears. She was scared to speak because not many red heads had an American accent and he would surely know it was her. But she didn't even need to speak, for she was already made before she even had the chance to decide whether or not she could fake an accent or even what to say for that matter.

Frances poked her head out from behind Reggie, confusion in her eyes, "Rose?" The small woman asked softly. She walked up to Rose and lightly snatched the glasses off of her friends face and took a step back. Rose gave a shy smile before looking away.

"Well what do we have here?" Reggie asked softly, most likely to himself.

"What are you doing here?" Frances questioned Rose, "I haven't heard from you in days. I wanted to catch up."

"I'm sorry Franny but I was just leaving." Rose spoke, declining Frances' invite to hang out at the club.

"Well we can see that," Reggie interjected comically causing Frances to giggle at his words. She lightly patted him on the arm before turning her attention back to her best friend.

"Oh Rosie, just 10 minutes, please."

Frances begged Rose to stay sweetly and the Yankee just simply could not resist so she agreed, "Alright fine. One drink and then I have to go."

A bright, beaming smile lit up Frances' face and she turned to Reggie, "Do you mind Reg?"

He shook his head, "Not at all. Take all the time you need to catch up. I have a few things to attend to in the meantime." And with that, the two women were left to their own devices.

They headed to the bar and orders two flutes of fine champagne; Frances sipped hers while Rosie didn't touch it at all. She simply left it sitting there next to her. Sometimes she'd reach out and twirl the drink but other than that, Rosaline didn't bother with it.

"I didn't know you worked Wednesday nights," Frances spoke, breaking the ice between the two.

"I don't. Stefen asked me to come in to help with the decorations."

"Did they tell you that Mr. De Faye is no longer in charge?" Frances asked. Rose nodded showing that she did in fact know that.

"I do. I don't however know who the new owners are. Apparently there's more than one."

"It's Ron and Reg. They're the new owners."

Rose looked at Frances as if she had heard her wrong but she knew she hadn't. That would explain why he was here. Reggie Kray never stepped foot in Esmeralda's Barn in the 4 years she's known the man. But it didn't explain why Frances was with him, practically attached to his limb.

"Speaking of which, are you seeing Reginald?" Rose asked her.

Frances cheesed really hard at that and nodded, "Yes and he's-"

Rose cut her off, "Leave him alone Franny. He and his brother are nothing good."

"He said he's not a gangster."

"I never said he was. But I've been around the Kray twins long enough to know that nothing good comes from associating with them. Thank you for the drink and I shall see you soon."

Rose allowed Frances to say no more to her after that. She left her drink on the bar top, untouched, slid her glasses back on her face and walked out the club without another word to anyone. When she got home, she told Gina everything.

Rose knew how sensitive Frances could be and she saw nothing good coming out of the growing relationship she had with Reginald Kray.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: London; 1960s

A few days have passed since that night at Esmeralda's Barn. Rose was sleeping soundly in her bed when she was awoken by someone knocking on her front door frantically. She got up out of bed groggily and made her way down the steps, the knocking eventually turning into banging out of impatience. When she pulled the front door open, she was prepared to give the person on the other side a piece of her mind. But she stopped when she saw a crying Frances on her stoop, eyes blotched red and cheeks a rosy pink. There were a few spots of black across her cheeks, probably from her smudging her teary mascara with her arm. She let the girl in, quickly dragging her friend into a warm, fulfilling hug. Ten minutes long later, Rose found herself curled up in bed with Frances laying next to her, Frances' head laying on her chest. Rose's hand rubbed her head in an attempt to sooth the crying girl.

There were a few hiccups coming from the lithe framed girl but it came out muffled. Frances went on to tell her that Reggie was in jail. An old warrant had caught up with him and she wouldn't be spending neither Christmas nor New Years with him. She wasn't sure if her relationship could withstand such a blow. Frances wasn't cut out to be a " _Prison Wife_ " as Rose had put it. But Rose sympathized with her friend for three years prior to, she was in the same place as Frances was, only she really was a prison wife. She could understand seeing the man you loved behind bars and miles apart from you.

"You'll be fine, Franny. Reggie will be fine and think of this as a good thing. You have six months to think about whether you're really up to this relationship or not. You need to take this time time to comprehend your situation and what outcome you want at the end of all of this."

Frances nodded her head as she soaked up all of Rose's words. She wanted Reggie to be safe and sound. She wanted to curl her arms around him at any moment without having to worry about whether he was going to be whisked off to jail for getting into something illegal. Could her relationship with Reggie hold up for the next six months as she waited for him to return home from prison? How would she be able to sleep for the next six months unsure if he was safe or not?

Rose was right. Frances needed to think about herself and make up her mind about what she wanted to do with Reggie. She couldn't possibly tell her mom in fear that her mother will just call her a tart again and rub it in her face about Reggie being a gangster. But he wasn't, was he? He was simply a club owner who got tied up in something. That's not who Reggie was.

Rose sighed and rubbed Frances on the shoulder before getting up out of bed. She went down stairs and put on a kettle of hot water to make Frances some tea. She then began to take out ingredients for breakfast when there was a knock at her door, _again_. Setting everything down on the counter, Rose wiped her hands on a dish towel and went to answer the door. This time when she answered the door, her frown stayed on her face, for _he_ was the _last_ person she wanted to see or speak to.

"Hello, wife," Ron spoke, his words slightly slurred as he did so. As usual, he was dressed impeccably in a double breasted, black suit jacket and trousers, a black tie and a white shirt. His hair was neatly combed back and his glasses sat somewhat crooked on his face due to his nose being somewhat out of wack. He had on large golden cufflinks and a half a dozen rings on his thick fingers, one of which said ' _Ron.'_

Rose frowned, her green eyes wide with shock, "Ron, what are you doing here?"

"Reggie told me you were back in town. May I come in?" He asked, his voice ever so deep.

"No. Ron you need to leave and never come back." Rose attempted to close the door in his face but he easily overpowered her by putting one hand on the door to keep it from closing all the way.

"Not even for a cup of tea and a smoke?"

"No! Now get off my door and take your butt off of my property." She pushed with all the strength in her body to shut the door but to no avail; Ron simply did not budge a smudge.

"Technically " _ours."_ As a married couple, what's mine is yours and vice versa, love."

Rose growled and gave up, ultimately letting go of the door. Ron gave a smug smile and made his way into the quaint little home.

"Rose, is everything alright down there?" Frances called from Rose's bedroom. She had heard some commotion from downstairs and wondered what it was. She could have sworn she had heard Ron's voice but she pushed that thought away with the shake of her head and simply went back into Rosie's room. Maybe she was just imagining it.

"Yes, Franny. Everything is just fine," Rose replied stiffly as she glared at her husband. She narrowed her eyes at him before turning around and making her way back to the kitchen where the kettle was now hissing. She made two cups of tea, one for her and one for Frances, not giving a damn about whether Ronnie wanted one or not. He followed after her into the kitchen and sat down at the table. A frown mared his rugged yet somewhat handsome features as he realized she didn't fix him a cup of tea as well.

Rosaline placed a cup of tea for Frances onto a silver platter was well as a muffin she had baked a day or two ago. She also put a few napkins and a lemon sherbet candy there too as a way to cheer up her sullen friend. The woman picked up the tray and went upstairs to her room where Frances sat at the vanity, retouching her slightly smeared and blotched make up.

"Oh, you're back from playing surrogate mum," Ron said softly although she still heard him. He had said that when she had returned to the kitchen. She found Ron sipping on the cup of tea she had made for herself, a half eaten muffin in his large hand. A frown quickly returned to her beautiful face at the sight, anger coursing through her as he drank her cup of tea knowing it was meant for her. With her great mood quickly soured, Rosie packed up all the ingredients she was going to use to make breakfast back into the fridge and plopped herself into the seat across the table from Ron.

"What are you doing here?"

Ronnie looked up at her from the top of his horn rimmed eye glasses, "I here to take my wife home with me."

"Oh cut the "loving husband" crap Ronnie. You know I only married you so I could have a say in you going off to the looney bin house."

"Really…? Huh," Ron said lightly with a slight nod to his head as he nibbled the top of the muffin off all the while taking in her features, "that maybe why _you_ married me but that's not why _I_ married you."

Rose narrowed her eyes, wariness filling them. She didn't trust the man sitting across from her as far as she could throw him; and let's be clear, she can't even lift him off the ground to be able to throw him. Ergo, she doesn't trust him at all. He maybe a free man but Ronald Kray was still the same violent, crazy, paranoid man he was when he went to jail. In addition, sadly, he's still the same violent, crazy, paranoid man she had married three years ago.

"Why did you marry me then?" Rose questioned softly. Ronnie blinked at her multiple times with the straightest face he's ever given her, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"Because I love you. And I don't love any other women besides me mum," He paused for a moment before continuing, "you know that."

Rose looked him in the eyes, his strong gaze unwavering. They bore into her soul and she knew he was telling her the truth. Ronald Kray has never lied to her before and he never will. She averted her eyes, unable to hold his stare any longer. She feared that if she did, she would get sucked back down that rabbit hole and end up back in the mad hatter's clutches as she did once before. Sorry but she's no Alice and this is no Wonderland.

"Well then, it's getting pretty late Ron. I don't want to keep you. Tell Ms. Violet I said hello for me please. I'll see you out."

Rose stood up and made her way to the door but stopped in her tracks when he grabbed her by the wrists gently as she went to move past him. She turned to look at his hand, his grip figuratively burned at her skin, literally his warm hand comforted her. Rose would be lying if she said she no longer loved him. She still had love for Ronnie Kray but was she _in love with_ Ronnie Kray? Honestly, she wanted to say _'no'_ but who was she fooling? She couldn't even fool herself. As much as she said she was over him and that she wanted to move on, a part of her was still attached to him and she liked it, _loved_ it even.

Her eye trailed up his arm covered in a perfectly tailored suit. She took in the shining cufflinks, the bright white shirt that held not a speck of dust and the black sleeve that hugged his arm just right; all the way up to his collared neck until she reached his face. Her light green eyes met his sky blue ones and she blinked a few times, unsure of what to say.

"Tell her yourself tonight at dinner."

She nodded and he released her wrist. He then stood up at that moment, his 6 ft frame towering over her 5 ft one. A part of Rose wanted to reach out and pull him into a hug.

She did not.

But he did.

Ron reached out and pulled her smaller body into his larger one, his arms circled around her waist. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, as if they wanted to be there, as if they _belonged_ there. He pressed his face into the crook of her neck, his nose running along her soft flesh that smelled just like freshly picked pears.

Ronnie tightened his arms arms around her when he felt her arms snake around his neck, hugging him back. She was dressed in a simple night slip so he felt every curve of her body pressed against him. Oh, how Rose has forgotten how well her body fit against his.

Rosaline inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. One thing she loved about Ron was that he didn't bathe himself in cologne like many of the men today. He didn't even touch the stuff. And Rose was a woman who liked her man to have a natural scent. His was woodsy, as if he had just rubbed his whole body against a pine tree.

' _I miss you, Ron,'_ Rose thought to herself, afraid to say it out loud. Saying it aloud would make it real and she didn't think she was ready to take that leap once more.

Rose pulled away slightly, the palms of her hands resting flatly against his pecs. Her nose brushed against his, their lips barely touching. She felt his warm breath brush against her lips and she leaned up on her tip toes. She was inches from pressing her lips to his when a soft voice pulled the couple out of their own world.

"Rose?" Frances stood there in the doorway of the kitchen, shock on her young, beautiful features. Rose blinked a few times before turning around slightly. She no longer had her hands on his chest, they slid down to the lapels of his jacket, her slim fingers fiddling with the fine fabric.

"What's going on here?" Frances asked and stepped into the kitchen. Rose removed herself from Ronnie's arms and took the platter from Frances. She then placed the used dishes in the sink and placed the platter in the cupboard. Ron and Frances just stood where there were, somewhat in a staring match. It was clear Frances knew who he was seeing as she was in a relationship with his older twin brother. Rose's eyes traveled back and forth between the two people in her kitchen, sensing the growing awkwardness between the trio, "Ron, come on. I'll see you out."

They left the kitchen and headed to the door. She opened the front door and he stepped outside into the cool brisk morning London air, "Me mums place, 7 pm sharp."

Rose nodded, gave him a small smile and closed the door. With a sigh of relief, Rose ruffled her slightly messy hair and headed back to the kitchen where she had left Frances. The English woman sat in the exact same spot Ron had sat just minutes before, her small, nimble fingers playing with a spare napkin.

"Ron Kray, really Rosie?"

"Frances don't start. My relationship with Ron is totally different from your relationship with Reggie."

"Oh really?" Frances exclaimed in her clear British accent, her face turning a pinkish color from her growing frustration, "please tell me how."

"It's more complex than you're making it to be, Franny."

"So it's okay for you to love up with Ron but when I do so with Reg, you want to dog him out?! Is that what it is?!"

"It's not like that Frances and you know it!"

"I don't know anything anymore. You're such a hypocrite Rosaline, you really are."

"I am not! I've been where you are Frances!" Rose yelled back at her friend before taking a deep breath. She ruffled her hair before taking a seat at the table, her light green eyes locked on Frances. Once both women were calm, Rose decided to speak again.

"Look, Ronnie and I… We were- we are, married. Four years ago, I met the Kray twins and I ended up getting involved with Ron. We were in love. The happiest couple you could have ever seen and known. It wasn't until he went to jail did I see how dangerous he really was. He nearly beat a man to death because of me, Frances. It wasn't until he was convicted did we ever think about marriage. If I married him, I would have some say as to what happened to him, you know. I always knew something was off about him, I just never knew what exactly. It was Georgina who told me to run and never look back. Easier said than done right?"

Frances sat there for a few moments, unsure of what exactly she wanted to say or how to say it. When she finally got her thoughts together, she started to talk, "You never thought to tell me this?"

"You were away Frances. I don't want to have my problems on your mind," Rose reached over the table and grabbed her friend's hand. Frances squeezed her hand and placed her other hand over theirs, cocooning Rose's hand in her own.

"Do you still love him?"

Rose answered quickly, "Yes."

"Do you still want to be with him?"

Unlike the previous question, Rose hesitated to respond, "I don't know. A part of me does but the other part is swinging red alarm bells and telling me to get the heck outta Dodge."

The two women shared a laugh off the statement.

"Look Franny, I'm not going to stop you from being with Reggie. Just make sure you know what exactly it is you're getting yourself into."

Frances nodded at her friend, heeding her warnings.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: London; 1960s

That evening, Rose found herself standing outside of Violet Kray's home. She was unsure if she should knock. Going inside would mean she's going to be with Ron again but she wasn't sure if that's what she's ready for. Mrs. Violet absolutely loved Rosaline; she was the daughter the Kray family never had.

She had laid curled up in her bed for hours, not really knowing if she wanted to take up Ron's invitation to dinner at his mother's home. After speaking with her friends, she was even more confused. Georgina flat out told her not to go where as Frances practically picked out her outfit. But in the end, she got up and dressed herself anyways.

Rose wore a simple form fitting, white romper. The pants were slightly baggy around her waist yet accentuated her hips and bottom respectively while the ends hugged her ankles comfortably. It was long sleeve and the front had a deep plunging neckline which showed off the smooth skin of her torso. Because of the way the piece was made, Rose chose not to wear a bra but she did have nipple covers, she didn't want a _sneak-a-peak_ nipple to pop up. Around her waist was a belt made in the same material as the romper, tied into a knot.

She wore a simple pair of white heels. To add some style to the plain shoe, she took spray paint and colored the soles of the shoe a vibrant green that was sure to stand out. Her hair was pulled up into a neat high ponytail, with a slight bump at the crown of her head, achieved with just the right amount of teasing and light tugging. Rose wasn't really one for makeup but today she had on a matte ruby red lipstick, an exaggerated charcoal liner and some mascara. To complete the look, she had an all leather army green clutch which further accentuated her shoes.

With a breath of confidence, Rose knocked on the door. She waited a minute or so before the door opened. It was Albert, or Albie for short, who had answered the door. He was Reggie's right hand man, almost everywhere Reggie went, Albie was sure to be next to him or within the man's vicinity. Rose thought Albie was a bodyguard when she had first met but obviously that was untrue. She looked up at him with a smile, one he returned to her. He stepped back out of the doorway, giving her space to step into the warm, quaint home. When she entered the home, all the memories she and Ron shared in this house came flooding back, filling her with warmth and happiness, unsurprisingly. She never had a bad memory in this house, so she always felt at home and welcomed.

"Who's that, Albie?" Mrs. Violet's voice rang out from the kitchen. Ron, Theodore; Teddy for short; Leslie and Ian were all on the couches, chatting amongst themselves, the radio playing out a soft blues tune. A few laughs were heard here, some jibber jabber was heard there. But they all fell silent as their curiosity was piqued as to who was at the door. Rose poked her head out into the open with a smile on her face, "Surprise, Mrs. Violet."

Ron figured it was her and his guess was correct when she fully came into everyone's view. Ron watched her like a hawk, his eyes hard as he visually followed her every move. He had to glue himself to his seat to keep himself from hauling her off to his place and having his way with her. When Violet heard Rose's voice, she looked up in shock, a big smile falling on her face, "Oh Rosie. How're ya sweet?"

"G'evening everyone," Rose walked further into the house and gave a general greeting to all the guys. They replied and she smiled at them. She placed her clutch on the end table near Ron and went to help with making dinner. As she walked by Ronnie, he was tempted to snatch her up and hold her in his lap for the rest of the night.

"I've been okay Mrs. V," Rose stated as she dried her freshly washed hands, "what do you need me to do?"

Violet was sitting at the table running icing over a freshly baked cake. It had just finished cooling so she decided to get started on it, "Oh sweetheart, you can get started on the veggies and turn over the chicken in the over please. Oh! Take off the foil over the mac and cheese darling, I'm going to let it brown around the edges a bit."

Rose simply nodded and got to work with all the things Mrs. Violet asked her to do. As the women busied themselves with finishing up dinner, the men went back to chit chatting amongst themselves. Ron was tempted to lit a cigar but he had too much respect for his mother to smoke in her home.

"Rose looks nice tonight, don't she?" Ian spoke softly to Albie, his thick Scottish accent standing out. Rose could never fully understand the things Ian said. His accent was simply too strong and he said things she normally didn't hear on a regular basis. Albie nodded in agreement and sipped his cup of tea, a small smile on his face. He had always admired her. She was a woman of class and everyone knew it just by one look of her. She had style, he'll admit.

"Betta not let Ron hear that. He might rag yah up," Leslie whispered to the men, overhearing their conversation. At the moment, Ron was in a deep conversation with Teddy over something only those two knew about. They paid no attention to the rest of the people around them, well Teddy didn't. Although Ron was talking to Teddy, his focus was partially on Rosaline.

"Ay," Ian replied and clinked his glass of champagne against Leslie's with a smirk. All of the people in here, except Violet, had seen the violent side of Ron, some more frequently than others but they all had none the less. Although Albie had to give it to Ron, he did try to keep as much violence away from Rose as he could. And with the help of Albie and the rest of'em, it got easier. Albie would often find himself sleeping on the couch of Rose and Ron's apartment to keep her company when Ron was out all hours of the night doing God knows what.

But that was years ago, when Rose was younger. And to be honest, he found her company quite relaxing to be around. To be in her presence was soothing. She had this air, this _aura_ , about her that radiated a comforting feeling to anyone that sat around her. She was sweet and soft spoken and kindhearted.

" _The pure opposite of Ronnie,"_ Albie thought to himself with a smile. Did he think she deserved better? _Of course_. A thousand times yes. But who was he to say something. But he treats her right so that was all that mattered to Albie.

Five minutes before the food was done, Rosie began to set the table when Violet stopped her, "Oh sweetheart. There's no need for that. They're going to eat in the common area tonight. Oh can you tell Ron to light the fireplace, dear?"

Rose nodded and put the dishes back into the dish rack where she had gotten them from. She then went to the oven, took out the chicken and placed it on the table next to the pan of baked mac'n'cheese. The steam from the cooked food wafting about the house. Although Reggie was locked up, they would make this the best Christmas dinner.

Rose left the kitchen and headed back into the living room, or _common area_ as Mrs. Violet put it, and stood next to Ron. She placed her hand on his shoulder in order to get his attention. The gesture caused him to look up," Uhh… Ms. Violet said dinner's ready and she wants you to set the fireplace."

That last statement was meant for Ron and he nodded. He got up off the couch, gave Rose a once over and went out to the back to get some firewood. Everyone else went into the kitchen, said grace and began making their plates.

* * *

Rose found herself sitting on the three seater couch, between Ronnie, on her right, and Albie who was on her left. Ian and Leslie sat on the love seat next to Albie while Teddy sat on the recliner near Ronnie. The fireplace was going, the radio was on and everyone was having a good time. Rose picked up her flute of champagne and raised it up.

"A toast, everyone," Rose started and they too raised their glasses, "to a new year, new beginnings and happy endings."

"To happy endings," Everyone stated after her. She gave a bright smile and took a sip from her glass. Rose felt Ron's hand glide along her thigh and rest just before her knee. He gave her leg a soft squeeze before simply resting his hand there. Although it caught her off guard a bit, she found it somewhat comforting. He gave her a smile, one she returned to him.

After dinner was done, Rose took out a deck of cards and began to play Ian in 500 Rummy. She won, of course, no one except Albie could beat her 500 Rummy. They also played Spades, Hearts and Black Jack. Once those games got boring, they played Jackass and whomever was stuck with the lone Jack at the end was the jackass and they had to do 3 shots of liquor. Most of the time, it was Teddy who got stick with the lone Jack but others caught it too, a few times. Once he got tired of taking shots most of the time, Teddy got up and decided to head home, Leslie quickly following afterwards, but not before he placed a clove of mistletoe above Ron and Rose's heads.

She rolled her eyes at his antics and lightly kissed Ron on the cheek, which satisfied everyone who " _awwed"_ and cooed at the " _cute couple"._ All except Ron but he did well to not show it. He wasn't content with just a simple little peck on the cheek. He wanted to smother her lips with his own. After three long years, it was all he could think about when he saw her. And that red lipstick was _not_ helping. It only fueled his desire for her.

Eventually Ian and Albie left too, leaving Rosaline and Ron. They got up and headed into the kitchen to relieve Ms. Violet of her cleaning duties. She had done enough for the day and deserved to rest, leaving Ron and Rose to clean up the mess. Well it left Rose to clean up the mess; Ron simply stood in the corner with his arms crossed as he watched her buzz about the kitchen. It wasn't until she stood at the sink washing dishes did he approach her.

She felt him press himself against her, her back flush against his chest. He ran his hands along her upper arms a few times and dipped his head down to her neck, burying his face into her sweet smelling flesh. His hands slid down her frame and rested at her hips. He gave her flesh a soft squeeze and pulled her hips against his.

Rose turned her head a bit and looked at him from the corner of her eye. She knows there are two ways this could end, she just wasn't sure which endgame she wanted. Apart of her wanted to stop him but the other part wanted to respond. But in the end, she decided to stop him. She was not having sex in her mother's kitchen. She had too much respect for Ms. Violet.

Rose turned off the water and tried to slip out of his grasp, but he placed his hands on the counter on both sides of her, sandwiching her between the marble and his body. She turned around and faced him, her back pressed against the edge of the countertop, "Excuse you, Ron."

"Come home Rosie. Please."

"Ron, I need to dry the dishes and put-"

"I don't flippin' care about the dishes. I just want you to come home."

"Well I don't want to come home. I'm quite comfortable where I'm at, thank you very much."

Ron simply blinked at her, his gaze hard and unwavering, "Kiss me."

"No."

"What're you scared of? Kiss me."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "I'm not scared to. I just simply don't want to."

"Kiss me," He repeated for the third time. Only this time he didn't wait for her response. Ron pressed his lips against hers, pecking her on the lips. He pecked her three or fours times in a row before pulling away. He wasn't satisfied because she didn't kiss back but he felt content that she didn't pull away either.

"Why?"

Ron raised his eyebrow, "Why what?"

"Why are you so adamant about me moving back in with you?"

Ron pulled away from her and stepped back out of her space. He leaned against the dinning table, his large hands gripping the edge, "Because, love, I want to be able to go to sleep wrapped around you, I want to wake up to the smell of your cooking and I want to be able to fuck you whenever I want."

He said that last part with a smile. She rolled her green eyes at his boyish mentality and went back to putting the dishes away, "And what about what _I_ want, Ron?"

"Tell me. How can I know if ya don't tell me?"

She'll give it to him, he did have a point. He wasn't a mind reader. Ron licked his full pink lips before pushing himself off of the table edge and got himself a glass of juice.

"I want you home every night," Rose started, causing Ron to look up at her, "and no more violence in front of me. You wanna go out and be a gangster, go ahead. Just don't be a gangster in front of me."

"Done. Does that mean you're comin home?"

"Just for tonight."

"I can work with that."

"You do good on your end and I'll move back in with you. You mess up, I'm staying at Gina's and I'm never leaving." Ron nodded at her words, finding them to be highly easy to comply with. He sat at the dining table and waited for her to finish cleaning up the kitchen. It seemed like forever had gone by before she was done and when she finally was, he practically dragged her to the car so he could head home. Rose found it quite funny how childish he could be when he became impatient.

The first thing she noticed was the change of scenery. Apparently Ron had moved to a new building. It was nice. The lawns were nicely cut and there wasn't a site of garbage anywhere. In big, bold, black letters it read _Cedra Court_ in capital letters across the front of the building. Once Ron parked the car, they walked up to his flat. Rose was actually impressed at how clean the place was seeing as he's not that neat. When they lived together previously, it was she who did most of the housework.

It was big and spacious. She liked it. It was a simple two bedroom/one bathroom flat. The place was nicely decorated and it didn't smell like a man lived there by himself. Although she did have to admit, the place needed a _woman's touch_. There were too many dark colors and it made the place look a bit dreary.

As soon as she walked into the apartment, it was an open room. It had a nice l-shaped couch with a small glass and wooden coffee table. Behind it was a row of windows with vertical blinds instead of the usual horizontal ones. The floors were a nicely shellacked wood that gave it a cool luster. There was a floor rug and a ceiling fan as well. The couch was a navy blue color and was bare. There was a knit blanket draped over one of the arm rests haphazardly but that was it.

Directly across from the living area was the kitchen. It had brown counters with a cream top. It went around the kitchen in an l shape as well. The fridge and stove were silver and held no form of decoration. Just like the living room, it was bare in that department. There wasn't a dining table but there was an island in the the middle of the kitchen and a few bar stools were there as well.

Past the living room as a single hallway that lead to the rooms, the bathroom and a closet. The first door on the right lead to the spare bedroom. It was a bit on the big side yet plainly decorated with a chest of draws, a night table and a full sized bed with a metal bar frame. There was a neutral colored carpet on the floor and the sheets on the bed screamed a bit country to her but she didn't care. It looked nice. Adjacent to the room was a hall closet, empty no doubt seeing as Ron didn't like his stuff all over the place. When she opened the door however, she found a few coats, maybe three or four hanging up. Other than that, the closet was stark naked. Should she move in, she decided that she would be claiming that closet and his coats would have to go. It was fairly spacious and she had a lot of stuff she would be putting up.

A few feet down from the closet was the door to the bathroom. It had a tub with a shower head so you could take a bath or shower if you so choose. There was a counter with a white sink and a large mirror. There were lights that lined the sides of the mirror, perfect for doing her hair and makeup. The toilet was between the two, white and plain. There were no bath mats, just a brown shower curtain, a few shelves on the wall and that was it.

The last door was directly ahead, making it parallel to the hallway entrance, no doubt leading to the master bedroom. On the left side of the hallway stood a set of balcony doors that lead to the small terrace that overlooked the front lawns of Cedra Court. Rose took her shoes off and placed them as well as her bag in the hall closet before making her way to the master bedroom. She was tired and wanted to get some sleep seeing as it was getting pretty late. She made sure to get to bed before midnight because she had this superstition that staying up past then would cause early aging and wrinkles. She may look young for 26 but she was _not_ immune to crow's feet.

' _Ugh,'_ She shuddered mentally at the thought of her beautiful skin sagging. Rose didn't have many fears but aging was certainly one of them. She pushed that thought aside and made her way into the master bedroom. As soon as she entered the room, the first thing she noticed was a king size bed and two night stands. They were cherry wood in color and matched the bed frame. The sheets were grey with a fluffy black comforter. Just looking at the dark color scheme made her want to dump white everywhere. She liked her place nice and bright and _white_. It gives a luminescent feel at night, especially when the moon light hit it just right. At least the windows on the left let in the light of the full moon; it gave the dark room some light.

There wasn't much else in the room besides a recliner in the corner and on the right side of the room was a large set of doors that spanned the entire wall, another closet. Ron didn't have much in it, only half of the closet was full; but what he did have was neatly placed. The recliner that sat in the corner of the room was positioned so that whoever sat in it had a full view of the large bed. Next to the chair was a small end table that had a cigar holder and a lighter.

Rose was standing in the doorway of the room taking in her surroundings when she felt Ron's presence behind her. He ran his hands along her arms soothingly before coming to a rest on top of her shoulders, "Do you like it?"

She shrugged, "I like the closet space."

Her statement caused Ron to smile and laugh a bit. She felt the vibrations against her back as she did so, "I meant about the apartment."

"As did I," Don't get her wrong, Rose liked the apartment. It was just too dark for her liking. The view however, was _amazing_. Sensing his mood changing, Rose turned around and leaned up on her toes. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and smiled, "yes, Ronnie. I like it."

He pressed his lips together in a mock stern face before grumbling in his thick, deep voiced accent , "You better. I picked it out with you in mind."

Rose rolled her eyes playfully at him before walking to the bathroom to take off her makeup. Once done, she went to the side of the bed closest to the windows. She tugged at the invisible zipper at her side and slipped out of her jumper, leaving her in nothing but a black thong. She pulled her hair out of it's ponytail with a sigh of relief. Her hands worked at her scalp, a soft hum of pleasure slipping out. Rose peeled the nipple covers off of breast, the cool air instantly hardening her nipples. She slid under the covers and got comfortable. Ron blinked a few times and shuffled to his closet to dress for bed which was slightly difficult with his ever present erection. He shrugged it off and simply got into bed next to her. He pulled her body close to his, his larger frame wrapping around hers.


	5. Chapter 5

_**[AN:]**_

 _ **Happy Easter :) And to those who don't celebrate Easter... Happy Uhh... Regular Sunday? :)**_

 _ **To NicoleAE: Make this three chapters in two days. I have a lot of free time, apparently :( and I don't want to stop for fear of losing motivation to write.**_

 _ **I apologize this chapter is a bit on the short side but you'll forgive me. I know you will. ^^**_

 _ **And now... ~Que drumroll~**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **ON WITH THE STORY!**_

* * *

Chapter 5: London; 1960s

Rose awoke that morning to the sunlight hitting her face, the blinding light causing her a bit discomfort. She felt an arm wrapped around her waist and instantly knew it was Ron's. She looked over her shoulder to glance at him. His glasses were on the night table next to his side of the bed and his breathing was even, showing he was still asleep. As he slept, Rose couldn't help but notice how handsome and at peace he looked. Her hand ran over the bridge of his nose, causing the older male to grunt slightly from being disturbed.

With a soft chuckle, Rose laid her head back down and sighed. She wanted to get up but Ron is a light sleeper and she didn't want to wake up by moving too much. Rosie absentmindedly played with a piece of her hair, a yawn escaping here and there as she thought about her current position. Who would have thought that she would be in Ronnie Kray's bed with his arm wrapped around her mostly naked form? Not she, that's for sure. Three weeks ago, she didn't even want to speak to the man, must less his brother and now look where she was; back down the rabbit hole. Eventually, sleep brought her back into its grasp and she slept for a few more hours; later than she usually would.

* * *

The next time she had awoken, it was mid morning and the bed was empty. With a soft groan, Rose sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Her hand went straight to her long tresses and she ruffled them a bit, her nails running along her itching scalp. She would have to wash her hair this week.

As she took in her surroundings, Rose noticed outside it was raining. She was tempted to go out and dance in the rain but seeing as it was Christmas Day, the rain was most likely freezing. Pushing that thought aside, Rose removed the covers and made her way to Ron closet. She pulled out a simple black v neck shirt that hung loosely off of her much smaller frame. She then made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Rose made her way to the kitchen to get herself something to drink when she noticed that the apartment was empty. She went to the telephone to call Mrs. Violet when she heard keys jingling in the lock. Ron quickly shuffled into the apartment, soaked to the bone from the pouring rain. When he spotted Rose, he smile awkwardly, "I got caught in the rain."

"I noticed," Rose replied, a smile on her face as he stated the obvious. He held up a bag that was a bit wet. It was clear he was offering the bag to her and she approached him, her hand reached out to take it. But she was taken by surprise when Ron grabbed her with his free hand and pulled her body close to his. He pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss and this time she kissed his back.

He broke the kiss reluctantly and held up the bag for her to actually take this time around. She wrapped her fingers around the strings of the bag, her eyes never leaving his. As he spoke, she could feel his lips lightly ghosting over hers from their mouths being in such proximity, Me mum says Merry Christmas. She said it was a gift long overdue."

She raised an eyebrow before pulling away and heading to the couch to open her gift while Ron headed to the room to change out of his wet clothing and into something more comfortable. Rose pulled out the first thing she saw which was a small envelope with a card inside. She pulled the card out and skimmed her eyes over the neatly written cursive handwriting.

' _It's been three years._

 _-V'_

Rose looked at the writing with bewilderment as to what she was implying by that statement. When she removed the colorful gift paper, her face became red as a tomato. Inside was red lace lingerie and then it clicked in her mind as to what Mrs. Violet was referring to. It was clear she was referring to _that_. It has been three years since she's shared a bed with Ron in that way.

She quickly placed the wrapper paper back inside the bag without taking the vibrant garment out. Who knew her mother-in-law was so _comfortable_ with her to give her such a raunchy gift. Her red face and hasty actions caused Ron to look at her weirdly as he perched himself on one of the bar stools.

"What'd me mum get you? Do you not like it?"

"Lingerie and I love it actually. It's very sexy," She stated simply as if she was discussing the weather. That caused Ron to stare at her, his eyes occasionally blinking at his wife across the room. A laugh escaped her lips as she took in his silent reaction. He was a very open man with most of his feeling when it came to her so when he was silent, it either meant he was going to shoot someone or there were a million thoughts racing his brain at that moment. Seeing as he would never shoot her, Rosaline wondered exactly what he was thinking.

"You…" He started and pointed to the bag next to her, "you should save that for a special occasion."

Ronnie then took out a cigar, licked it, cut off the end and lit the stick of tobacco. He took a drag of it and let the smoke flow out of his mouth and nose simultaneously yet slowly. Rose never understood his obsession with the stick of cancer but hey, whatever floats his boat, right?

She decided to take his advice and walked to the bedroom. Rose took the raunchy piece out of the bag and placed it inside the draw of her end table. Who knows, she might actually use it. She tossed the empty bag into the trash with a mental note to thank Mrs. Violet the next time she saw the woman. She would have called her and thanked her over the phone had it been any other gift but that was not a conversation she wanted to happen over the phone. God only knows who would be on the other end listening to what Mrs. Violet was telling her.

"Well I didn't expect to see you for Christmas so I didn't get you anything," Rose said with a sheepish smile as she leaned against the counter. Ron nodded his head a bit as he smoked his cigar.

"That's quite alright Rose. I didn't expect one to begin with. I, however, did get you something."

"Really? What?" Rose asked softly as she fiddled with the ends of her hair.

Ron nodded again, "Two things actually."

He motioned for her to follow him and they made their way to the bedroom. Ron walked to his night table and pulled out two small boxes. Once was circular in shape while the other was a square. He handed her the circular one first. She took it and opened it, her eyes occasionally moving from him to the small box in her hands. Inside was a gold ring. It had a pearl in the middle in the shape of an oval with diamonds going around it.

She smiled up at him, "It's beautiful Ron. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Don't lose it, it was me grandmums. She told me to give it to the first woman I fell in love with."

Rose approached him and gave him a peck on the lips. He took the ring from her and placed it on her left ring finger, "I won't lose it, I promise."

"I know," Ronnie stated and handed her the second box. She took it from him and removed the lid a bit slowly. When she opened, she held up its content with a look of confusion falling on her face.

"A key?"

"It's not just any key. It's the key-"

"To this apartment," Rose finished his statement. Ron nodded at her and smiled. She smiled back at him, "I never said I was moving back in with you."

Ron pressed his lips to her in a soft kiss, "You didn't have to."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him playfully and placed the key into her bag as she muttered to herself, "Smug bastard, ain't he?"

The rest of the day consisted of them laughing, a few kisses here and there and catching up. He told her stories of his time in jail which were slightly disturbing yet comical in a way and in return she told him of her years in America. She told him of her mother. She told him of her older sister, Edaline and her younger sister Coraline. He never met her younger sister but he had met her older sister when they first got together. She brushed him off uncaringly, just as her mother had. They rubbed him the wrong way, to put it mildly.

They were currently sitting on the floor by the terrace doors as they watched the sun had set. The rain had long since stopped so the doors were open, letting in a soft breeze. They decided to enjoy a glass of wine together before heading to bed. She was sitting next to him but after they finished their drink, he pulled her into his lap so that she was straddling him. Ron ran his calloused hands along the smooth expanse of her thighs as she leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

Her hands slid up to his neck, her fingers fiddling with the top buttons of his white button down shirt. After a minute of playing with them, she began to work her way down his shirt, undoing each button one at a time. Each button that was undone showed more of his torso. Rose ran her soft hands along the firm muscles of his chest, re-familiarizing herself with every contour of his torso.

Ron gripped the hem of the shirt that was draped over her body and pulled it off of her, breaking their kiss. But he didn't mind. He simply kissed his way along her jawline, down her neck and across her collarbone. She winced slightly when he nipped at her skin, making her fair complexion turn red. Rose ran her hands along his shoulders and pushed his shirt off, the garment joining her shirt on the floor next to them.

She pushed him back so that he was laying down, her hands sliding along his waistline, just above his belt. Rose leaned over and kissed her way down her chest as her hands undid his pants and belt. Her arm brushed against his ever present erection, causing the man to inhale sharply. She smiled at his reaction and pulled his trousers off, leaving him in only a pair of boxers. Rose could see the bulge in his underwear and ran the tip of finger across his hardened cock in a teasing manner.

Ron stared at her as she teased him but he didn't mind, her touch felt good, _really good_ , infact. His hands fingered the black cotton thong his wife was currently wearing and tugged at the waist band before letting it go, the elastic band slapping against her skin softly. It was her who stared at him this time and he returned her stare with a smug smirk. Rose decided to ignore him and went back to undressing him. The only thing he had left on was his boxers, which she discarded just as quickly as she did his pants. Just to spite him, she rubbed her wet fabric of her underwear against his dick. That only turned him on even more.

"Don't tease me, Rose."

She rolled her hips again, rubbing her vagina against his dick once more. Ron narrowed his eyes slightly before grabbing her and flipping them over so that he was on top of her and she was underneath him. He ripped her underwear off and pushed his thick cock into her swiftly, causing the woman to cry out, half in pleasure, half in unexpected pain. Ron pressed his lips to her ear and gave it a kiss before whispering to her, "Not laughin now, are yah?"

Ron felt her walls tighten around his dick as he thrusted into her a bit roughly, making Rose moan. He had forgot how loud she could be but it bothered him not. Her moans were music to his ears as they filled the air around the couple on the hallway carpet.

His tongue ran along the valley between her plump breasts and he gave her nipples each a nip. Ron also left a hickey on the underside of each breast, marking her skin. But she didn't mind; it felt good. Her nails ran along his muscular back, leaving eight , thin red lines along his pale flesh. This made Ron hiss slightly so he latched his teeth onto one of her nipples harshly.

Rose dug her nails into his skin when he bit her, "So rough."

"My apologizes." Ron smirked and detached his mouth from her fair toned flesh before giving it a soft kiss. Her legs wrapped around his waist and pulled his hips closer to hers, his dick going deep inside of her. He felt her walls clench and after a few more thrusts, they both came. Ron pulled out of her and lifted her into his arms. He then made his way to their so they could go to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: London; 1964

Rose sat on the couch in a pair of shorts and tank top. A book was in her lap and a cup of tea sat on the coffee table beside her, but she wasn't doing much reading. The music was playing softly but she wasn't paying much attention to that either. She sighed and closed the book, she had already read it 3 times before so she wasn't really missing anything.

She placed the book on the table and looked out the living room window. It was currently summer, mid July actually, and the London weather was nice. The trees were in full bloom, casting its shadow over the front of the grounds. Rose wanted to go out but she didn't want to hit the streets alone with nowhere to go. Her husband was out being a gangster somewhere, Georgina was most likely working on a new piece so Rose didn't want to disturb her and Frances rarely left the house these days because she was sullen about her Reggie being locked up in prison.

During the past six months, Rosie did the best she could with handling Frances. She saw Reggie once in jail and the only thing he asked of her was to look out for his girl while he was away. Rose tried her best in being there for her but she can only help but so much with a person who didn't want to be helped. After Reggie went away days before Christmas, Frances closed herself off from Rose and Ron. She had to side with her man on this one, Ron was right in saying she's become a ghost.

There was a ring on the telephone, bringing the American born woman out of her thoughts. She got up and walked to the phone to answer it. On the other end was none other than Frances Shea. ' _Well speak of the devil,'_ Rose thought to herself as she greeted her distant friend.

"Rosie…" Frances started with an excited voice but dropped it to a whisper. She figured Frances was at home and didn't want Mrs. Shea to over hear. She never did approve of Frances' relationship with Reggie, "My Reg is out of jail."

"He is, is he? Well that's wonderful Frances," Rose replied softly yet sweetly. She was happy for her friend. Maybe Reggie can bring the girl out of her shell once more.

"Mhm… And guess what else Rosie…"

Rose waited for Frances to speak but nothing came.

"Say ' _what, Franny?'"_ Frances said with a giggle.

" _What Franny?"_ She said mockingly, causing the other woman to laugh. Rose cracked a smile. Her friend sounded really happy now that Reginald was back from jail.

"He proposed to me and I said ' _yes.'"_

Rose nearly dropped the phone when she heard that. She was happy for her friend, she truly was but she wasn't sure if getting married would help solve anything. Frances just spent the last few months moping around in a ghostly daze because of Reggie. What would happen to her if Reggie got put away again, only longer? Or for good? Rose knew it would crush her friend and she didn't want to see that happen; not again.

But she sucked up her feelings and congratulated her friend on her engagement with promises to help plan the wedding.

* * *

Ron came in later that night as silently as he could. It was pretty late and he knew his wife would already be in bed by the time he got home. When he entered their flat, he was correct. Rose had fallen asleep on the couch, the sun long since set, leaving her in total darkness. The moon was new tonight to there was no moon light peeking into the apartment through the windows.

Hearing noise about her, Rose's eyes shot open. She saw an imposing figure standing in the middle of her living room and a chill ran down her back, "Ronnie?"

"Yes?"

Rose let out a sigh and turned her back to him to turn on the living room lamp. When she turned back around to face him however, a look of shock and worry befell her features as she took in all the blood. Ron's nose had stopped bleeding long ago but he didn't bother to wash his face causing it to dry up and crust on his face.

Without a word, Rose grabbed a dark, plush washcloth, soaked it in warm water and made her way back to Ron. He had made himself comfortable on the couch. She plopped down next to him, removed his glasses and began to wash the dried, crusty blood off of his face, "So what happened?"

"Oh I got into it with Reggie. No big deal lovely," He replied nonchalantly.

"Over what? Reggie's not going to break your nose without good reason."

"Ehh… He's mad at me for not running Esmeralda's the way he wanted me to. It ain't me fault."

When she got back together with Ron months ago, he gave her the option of quitting or getting fired. He made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her dancing and singing for anyone but him. Not wanting to make an argument out of it, she simply sighed and quit working at the casino.

"Who hit who first?"

"He hit me first. But I grabbed him by the balls and squeezed'em," Ron spoke, his hand squeezing shut as he remember what he did to his brother. A few moments later, he relaxed his hands and settled them in his lap.

"Apparently, Reggie asked Frances to marry him," Rose told Ronnie softly.

The man grunted in response, "Did he now?"

Rose nodded her head and continued to wipe his face. There were a few grunts here and there because his nose was still sore; it hurts to get punched in the face. ' _Reggie must've got'im good for him to bleed this much,'_ She thought to herself.

She stopped cleaning his nose halfway when the phone rang again. Ron told her to leave it thinking it was Teddy or Leslie checking up on him but it was neither of them. Instead it was Frances who was on the phone. The woman on the other line was crying her eyes out. When Rose asked her what happened, she began to tell Rose what exactly transpired at Esmeralda's Barn that night. She told Rose everything Ron had said to her and Reggie and to be quite honest, Ron was kind of right but he didn't have to be rude in the way he said it to her.

Rose felt that Frances allowed Reggie to consume her time and mind, yes; but she would never voice that in the way that Ron did. Frances was a very sensitive individual who was very self conscious about how others perceive her. After hearing Frances out and consoling her over the phone, the redhead bid her friend a good night with promises to meet up tomorrow and hung up phone. She then turned her attention to Ron who was half asleep on the couch.

She grabbed the wet rag, rolled it up and slapped him with it, effectively waking the sore Brit. He jerked awake and rubbed his now stinging cheek, "Ay, what'yah do that for?"

"I like how you conveniently left out the part where you were totally out of line to Frances. Just because she's walkin around mopin don't give you the right to be mean to her. She ain't never did nothin to you," She spoke, the Brooklyn in her coming out, "you are wrong, Ronald. I want you to apologize to Frances."

She turned and walked away, not leaving any room for discussion. Ron simply shrugged her off and went back to sleep while muttering about how crazy his wife is. He was too tired and too sore to go back and forth with her. Although she didn't want to admit it, Rose was a very violent woman when she's angry. Who knows, she might just swing at him if he provoked her enough.

* * *

Ronnie never did apologize to Frances but he didn't have to. Reggie came in and swept all the dirt of that night under the rug the next day. The wedding would still go on as planned and Frances forgave Ron unspokenly. The next few months went by and Rose found herself in the midst of celebrating Christmas again.

Ever since the fight between Reg and Ron months ago, things have calmed down a bit. There were a few arguments between Mr. Payne and Ronald but Rosaline simply brushed it off. She knows he's just feeling a bit lonely. The violent side of Ron was scratching at its shackles, wanting to come out. And it wanted its counterpart as well. Reginald was busy pleasing Frances, trying to prove to her that he's gone straight and isn't apart of the gangster lifestyle anymore. Ronald did everything he could to prove that wasn't the case and that Reggie is involved as much as Ron is.

That Christmas, Reggie and Mr. Payne secured _The Hideout_ , a fancy club on the East End of London. Not even a week later, Reggie and Ronnie found themselves locked up. Apparently, Ron sent Teddy and Leslie to the new club and had them reck it to spoil Reggie's deal with the current owner. They succeeded but it landed the twins in jail as they awaited trial.

The news hit Frances hard but not Rose. She was upset but she knew the kind of man Ron was. He was bound to end up in trouble again. She would be a fool if she thought otherwise. Rosie knew Ron never made such promises and she never asked him too. If he feels content with shoot people and terrorizing the citizens of West End, who was she to stop him? He can run his whole life into the ground, she did not care. She just did not want it in front of her.

Rose currently sat in Georgina's living room as she calmed down a crying Frances. Her face and cheeks were red and her eyes were bloodshot. The mascara she applied carefully that morning was smudging on her face. The American red head rubbed her friend's back while she cried. Rose wanted her friend to calm down so that way she didn't look a hot mess when they go to see the twins in jail.

Georgina sat across from them in the recliner, sipping a glass of fine wine with one leg crossed over the edge. The long haired brunette had a condescending look in her almond brown eyes as she watched Frances weep. All three women knew how Gina felt about Ronald and Reginald and therefore did not ask her opinion. She was very cross with Frances and Rosaline at the moment and wanted to tell them she was right all along but the beautiful Brit simply bit her tongue and sipped from her expensive glass. Her lengthy floral dress moved in waves around her legs as she flicked her polished white slipper back and forth on her toes.

Once Rose finally got Frances to calm herself and fix her make up, the three women were in the car and driving to the jailhouse where Ron and Reggie were currently being held. Rose and Gina sat in the waiting hall while Frances went in to talk to Reggie. Rose was contemplating on seeing Ron but she decided against him. Ron never lies to her and he tells her everything he does. She doesn't want to know anything about any who that may be illegal. They may be protected by spousal privilege but Rose doesn't want Ron's demons on her mind for she has enough with her own already.

Her light green eyes roamed over the dull grey walls of the London prison, her mind taking in as much as she could. She's never seen a prison in America so she nothing to compare it to. But did America really need it? They had KKK members running around killing anyone who wasn't white and lynching negroes as often they could while Civil Rights activists were running around trying to gain equality. Rose did not consider herself a prejudice individual but she knew many of her friends and family members were. Her mother's side of the family surely was and they didn't want to be anywhere _near_ negro people. Her mother's father, the prejudice prick that was, solved that problem by moving to the Hampton's. Her family, she included, grew up there and was racially ignorant, to put it lightly.

It wasn't until she turned 18 and went to university in the city did she ever experience her first encounter with a colored man. He was sweet to her. The cafe she worked at during her undergrad years was where she had met him. He came in every morning, ordered himself of a cup of coffee with an egg omelette and some sausages. Rose will admit that she was even attracted to him. Her family did not approve, in kind words. Rose swore to never _ever_ repeat the words she's heard come out of her family member's mouth. That's one of the main reasons she likes being in London; no prejudice people here and if there were, they hid it well.

The Irish American was pulled out of her thoughts with a nudge from Georgie. She turned her green eyes to the brunette next to her in wonder but quickly turned her eyes to Frances' form hurrying down the bleak corridor towards the two women. They shared a glance before looking at Frances once more, their eyes taking in her pale face. It was red, as if all the blood in her body rushed straight to her cheeks. Georgina was the first to break the silence, her thick accent ringing in Rosaline's ears, "Are you alright, Frances?"

The red-brunette nodded her head, her thick ringlets bouncing with every move of her cranium. Gina and Rose shared another look before Rose smiled warmly at Frances. She stood up and pulled Frances into a hug. Rose was wearing flats so it was easy for her to hug her friend seeing as they were nearly the same height; Frances was just a tid bit taller. Frances looked to be on the verge of tears and Rose wanted to console her friend.

"Come, let's get some lunch," Georgina suggested, not wanting to continue the conversation. She didn't want to upset Frances even more than she already was. The small sensitive woman would be open about what her and her fiance had discussed when she was ready, if she ever will be. Although, in all honesty, Georgina didn't want to know but she knew Rose did. The tall brunette rubbed her warm hands along her floral print dress and stood up, the airy fabric brushing her ankles.

Frances sniffled and nodded her head. With a shaky breath, she agreed to Gina's idea. Gina wrapped her arm around Frances' shoulders and pulled the shorter female closer to her as they walked to the entrance of the prison.

* * *

Georgina slowly sipped her won-ton soup from a styrofoam bowl as she listened to Frances tell Rosaline what had transpired between her and Reginald early that day. They three women were currently sitting at a local pub in central London in a front corner booth. Her almond brown eyes scanned the passer-by-ers as she took in every word between her two friends. As Frances told her story, there were a few small replies from Rose occasionally while Gina said nothing.

"What did you tell Reg?" Rose asked her friend.

"I told Reg that I wanted him to go straight. I told him that from when he was locked up before."

Rose nodded, "I don't think you should blame Reg. He was not aware of what Ronnie was planning."

"I know but I won't be married to a gangster."

That statement caught Gina's attention. She turned her observing eyes to the two women who sat across from her, her attention fully on their conversation now. Georgie tapped her finely manicured pale pink nails against the polished wood of the table lightly as she spoke, "I thought Reginald wasn't a gangster. I mean, is that not what you've told me, or have you finally come to terms with who you're really dealing with?"

Her words were a sharp and deadly knife, effectively cutting off Frances' ability to speak and reply. Rose narrowed her eyes at Georgina's blatant disregard for Frances' feelings and her current predicament. Frances simply recovered herself, took a breath and replied, " _My_ Reggie is _not_ a gangster. But his actions are certainly turning him into one."

Georgina forced back a sarcastic laugh at Frances's response; instead she settled on a simple nod. She had nothing left to say on the matter and she didn't want to shatter the already cracked mindset of her friend with her ever hurtful words. Sensing the growing aggravation rolling off of Frances, Rosaline decided to change the subject but she never got the chance to. Frances abruptly stood up, and walked away after giving farewells and promises of catching up with Rose sometime in the future.

Rose watched her leave with creased brows while Gina simply brushed her off. The Irish American woman turned narrowed green eyes to her best friend currently sitting across the way from her.

"Dammit Gina, can you reel in the bitch for once?"

Gina raised a brow at her best friend's rhetorical question, "No."

"Why do you have to be so mean when it comes to people's feelings?"

"Because unlike you Rosaline, I don't care! I love Frances, yes, but I could not care less about her feelings. Especially not when she is the one who put herself here." Georgina snapped, her anger flaring at Rose's confrontational words.

"Just because you don't care does not mean you have to show it. You can be nice for a change." Rose replied calmly. She could feel Gina getting irritated and wanted to relax the female. Georgina Wilson was a ticking time bomb and her mouth was like a cracking whip, ready to lash anyone, even her own friends.

"I don't want to be _nice,_ Rosie," Gina spoke, her eyes narrowing into viscous daggers, "we told her to stay away from Reggie. She doesn't want to listen to us so why should I pity her crocodile tears?"

"Because Frances is your _friend_ , Georgina! She is your friend and friends are there for one another, not kick them when they're down as you just did to Franny."

"Frances made her bed and now she has to lay in. You lay down with dogs, you catch fleas."

"Are you calling my husband and his brother _dogs?"_

"If that is what you want to take out of that, so be it. All I'm saying is I've already watched one friend fall into the mad hatter's grip once. Excuse me if I don't want to see that happen to the other one as well. You can call me mean and a bitch all you want to Rose but you above everyone else know how it feels to be caught up with the Kray twins. It doesn't end well, especially not for a sensitive person such as Frances. She is not strong like you. She cannot endure what you have. I've given her advice and she doesn't want to take it. So don't expect me to pamper her. I don't like Reginald and I damn sure do _not_ like Ronald."

With the end of her sentence, Georgina stood up, grabbed her brown leather satchel and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Rose there to ponder. The space between her eyebrows scrunched up as she frowned. Was she mad at Gina, heck yeah! But was Gina really _wrong?_ Rosaline was completely and utterly unsure.

* * *

 _ **[AN:]**_

 _ **Hello my fellow readers. I would like to apologize for the long wait on the update and I would also like to apologize to anyone who may have taken offence to the end portion of this chapter. I am not prejudice, I did not make my character to be as such but please keep an open mind. She is from America and grew up during a time in which being racist was normal. Again I apologize to anyone who may have been offended. :)**_


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